Thursday, 19 November 2015

Eczema is a chronic skin condition that affects millions of people around the world. I suffered very badly with it as a child & I have vivid memories of constantly visiting the doctor in the hope of being given a cure. I was subjected to a myriad of prescription treatments including steroid creams, paraffin moisturisers & bath washes which only served to make my condition worse. In the end I think we just gave up because nothing the GP prescribed had worked on my skin. I went through childhood unable to stop scratching my limbs, making them redder & sorer every day. It wasn't until high school when I got the most horrific flareup on my thighs that I actually found something that worked. The skin on my legs was weeping so much that I couldn't even wear tights to school & I'd just had enough of living like that. I can't even remember what prompted me to do this but I went to Holland & Barrett and bought a bottle of pure vitamin E oil. I slathered it on my skin several times a day & it worked like magic. The oil allowed me to gently rub away the scabs stuck to my skin & helped to heal up those painful welts. I was completely amazed that something natural had worked where medicine had failed & I think it's really important to get the message out there that prescription products aren't always the best thing to use when you have these kind of skin ailments.

Like the majority of adults with eczema, my symptoms have improved over time. I no longer need to apply the vitamin E oil because I no longer get huge flareups. Instead I'll get something like a dry patch on my hand, an itchy eyelid, cracked skin on my elbows or a reaction to jewellery. When these small flareups occur I don't want to douse myself in oil so I started looking for something that would nurture my skin without being messy or greasy. Salcura got in touch & asked if I would like to try some products from their Bioskin range. As I wholeheartedly believe in treating eczema with natural products I couldn't wait to put them to the test. The Bioskin range offers a natural solution to dry skin conditions whilst being totally free from artificial fragrance, SLS, parabens, paraffin, lanolin & steroids. Both DermaSpray & DermaSerum are 98% natural and devoid of ingredients that are widely accepted to be unsuitable for problem skin. One of the key active ingredients in these products is sea buckthorn oil which is rich in nourishing omega fatty acids & highly regarded for it's healing effects on the skin.

As the name suggests, DermaSpray comes in a convenient spray bottle. This allows for easy application even on those hard to reach areas. It is ideal for use on your limbs & torso. I've also seen some comments on their website from people who have successfully used it as a scalp treatment too. DermaSpray provides an everyday source of moisture & vital nutrients that is absorbed deep within the skin to aid it's own natural healing process. Along with the aforementioned sea buckthorn oil, this spray is packed full with natural ingredients. These include sunflower oil, safflower oil, grape vine oil, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, orange oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, olive oil, almond oil, peppermint oil, urea & aloe vera. It contains so many oils that you might expect it to feel greasy as hell when in fact the opposite is true. The spray is so light & fine that it absorbs within a matter of seconds. It looks & feels invisible on the skin but has a strong herbal/tea tree scent when first applied. It is very potent & might not be to some people's taste but it fades quite quickly anyway. DermaSpray should be used daily to maintain healthy skin. However during periods of persistent dryness & irritation you can spray it on as much as you like to soothe the affected area. Spraying on this product effectively breaks the itch-scratch cycle by providing rapid itch relief. Scratching often exacerbates the severity of eczema so something like this will help in more ways than one. The spray doesn't make my skin feel particularly soft to the touch but it does make it feel instantly nourished, soothed & hydrated which is exactly what I need to keep my eczema at bay.

DermaSerum is intended for daily use on the face either underneath or instead of your usual moisturiser. I normally use it under my moisturiser like any other face serum. It soothes the skin without feeling greasy or heavy so it's easy to slot in with the rest of your skincare routine. I think this product is really brilliant because it's ideal for anyone with dry skin, not just those with eczema or psoriasis. The creamy gel serum feels very lightweight yet it immediately floods the skin with moisture. This serum gets to work quickly by targeting dry patches & calming down any irritation. It works by sinking deep into the skin to nourish skin cells earlier on in their life cycle which makes them healthier when they reach the surface. The hassle-free gel formula gives you greater control over the application process. You can smooth it onto your entire face or you can just apply it where it is needed like your eyelid or around the hairline. It has the same herbal/tea tree scent as the DermaSpray which also dissipates shortly after application. One of the best things about this product is that it instantly relieves any itchiness. The skin on your face is a lot more delicate & on show than the skin on your body so scratching at it will make things look a lot worse. Treating chronically dry facial skin with a serum like this will speed up the healing process & help to prevent any future flareups too.

I'm really glad that I got to try these two products out. My skin always becomes drier in the Winter & more prone to patches of eczema. I've been using both of the Bioskin products religiously & they've kept my skin in tip top condition. I had some flakiness on my ears from a reaction to some jewellery & the DermaSerum has gotten rid of it completely. It's especially good at targeting small areas like that. If you've exhausted everything your GP can offer & desperately want some eczema products that are actually effective, natural & safe then look no further.

About Me

Greetings & salutations. I'm Caroline, I'm 29 and originally from SE London. I currently live in Huddersfield with my daughter Chloe. I am a freelance graphic designer specialising in typography and layout for publication design. You can read more about me here.